Points of View

The story is told almost exclusively in the third person from Daniel's point of view. Therefore, the reader is able to mature along with him, and often share deeply his hatred of the Roman soldiers and the occupation of Israel. It is through Daniel's conversation with Simon that we are able to understand that his sister, Leah, is possessed by demons.

The narrative follows Daniel's perspective, and when other characters' viewpoints are expressed, they are almost exclusively through Daniel's thinking process. His time on the mountain with the leader of the bandits is justified through the care they have given to him, and to the fact that he sympathized with their goals, when he was rescued as a young boy. The reader understands what Simon means at the beginning of the tale, when he explains to Daniel that Simon has a somewhat different viewpoint than Rosh...